28 DISCOVERY en. 



is the heart of scientific life, a stimulus to high endeavour 

 and a standard of righteousness. In this spirit must 

 Nature be approached, and by it is admission gained to 

 the temples of her learning. 



You come to the chest of knowledge. It is shut, it is bolted, 

 but . . . you have the key ; put it in steadily and home. But 

 what is the key ? It is the love of truth ; neither more or loss ; 

 no other key opens it ; no false one, however cunning, can pick 

 that lock ; no assault of hammer, however stout, can force it 

 open ; hut with its own key, a little child may open it ; often 

 does open it. John Brown. 



In northern mythology, the well of wisdom was 

 situated at one end of a rainbow. There also is truth 

 hidden, and he who would discover either must adventure 

 by himself into the unknown. Though perfect wisdom 

 and absolute truth are as unattainable as the rainbow- 

 foot, the effort to reach them brings a rich reward. No 

 two people ever see the same rainbow ; and to each of 

 us, therefore, is given a different goal, but whether we 

 set out towards it or not depends upon ourselves. 

 Wisdom will not come to us, but we 'may gain it by 

 experience ; truth will not wait on our command, and 

 yet will accompany us always while we are faithful to 

 her. We may catch only a glimpse of her wondrous 

 beauty after a life of devoted service, but there is even 

 more satisfaction in the anticipation of this vision than 

 in the actual attainment of the heart's desire. 



It is the successful, or even the unsuccessful, pursuit of truth 

 which gives happiness to each generation of scientific men, and 

 not the value of the truth itself the energy, the doing, not the 

 thing done. If a time could arrive when all was known, when 

 there could not be a new investigation or experiment, our keenest 

 pleasure would be at an end. We may therefore feel happy in 

 the thought of how much is still unknown. A. O. Vernon 

 HarcourL 



